*Gift guide contains items sent to me from the brands to feature, as well as affiliate links*
We’ve all been there, the last minute panic buying because we’ve been so busy working and adhering to Christmas deadlines that we don’t really have the chance to shop. I thought I’d put together a little gift guide of some of my favourite items you can grab in-store or online. I’m going to jump right in and start with one of my favourites…
Nars Limited Edition Inferno Palette – £54
This gorgeous palette is compromised of 12 highly pigmented shades, a mixture of glitter, matte and shimmer shades. I always look forward to Nars’ releases each Christmas and they did not disappoint this year with their Studio 54 collection. This would make a great gift for any high-end beauty lover, as the shades are wearable with a few pops of colour to elevate your eye looks to the next level.
Nars Studio 54 Audacious Lipsticks in Mona & Barbara – £26
As if Nars’ Audacious lipsticks weren’t good enough, they have added a gorgeous limited edition packaging to celebrate the Studio 54 launch. The lipsticks are weighty, luxe and absolutely gorgeous. A must-have for any beauty lover. I have both a nude and red shade, perfect for any aspect of the holiday season. The lipsticks are creamy, long-lasting and don’t bleed. Perfection.
It is without a doubt that Jonathan Ward candles are my absolute favourite candles. Absolutely nothing compares to them. Hand-poured in London by Jonathan himself, they are scents full of story, luxury and peak artistry. Hermitage Noel is a century-old recipe reborn and homage to Lucien Olivier’s Russian interpretation of a Royal Christmas Pudding. It has top notes of Clementine, Saffron, Spearmint, the heart is Russian Cognac, Arabian Dates, Fig, Prune, Dill seed, Anise and base of Amber, Frankincense, Myrrh, Cypress, Agar Wood. A true, Christmas scent that will provide a beautiful scent experience. The burn time is around 40-45 hours.
Molton Brown Bizarre Brandy Collection – various prices
One of this year’s Molton Brown holiday collections consists of the incredible Bizarre Brandy scent. It’s definitely an acquired taste, but I can tell you if you like this scent you’ll LOVE it. There’s not really an in-between. Molton Brown describes the scent as ‘top notes of cardamom, orange and ginger. A heart of aged brandy, coffee and maple. A base of incense, cedarwood and tobacco.’ I have the perfume (of which I have gifted to a friend, who I can only describe as this scent being made for her), the bath and shower gel, and of course, the candle.
Sachajuan Icon Collection – £50
The lovely team over at Dowal Walker PR sent me some items to feature on this blog post, and admittedly I’d never heard of Sachajuan as a brand before. To be honest with you, I can’t find much online about the brand at all, which makes me super intrigued to try these products. I love receiving gifts from brands I’ve never used before, as any beauty lover will know that the thrill of trying out a lesser-known brand and finding a gem is second to none. I take my haircare very seriously, usually using Philip Kingsley, Aveda or other high-end brands that focus on healthy hair and good ingredients. This set would make a great present for anyone who, like me, cares about their hair. A little bit more expensive at £50, but three full-size products make it worth it. I’ll definitely get back to you all with how I found using this, and I’ll do a little review. But firstly, it smells incredible!
Peter Thomas Roth Mask-Erade Face Mask Kit – £17
Talk to any skincare lover and they’ll tell you that Peter Thomas Roth face masks are on their lust list. Usually totally out of my price range, but this little set makes it affordable to get hooked. I’ve had this set before, and I can say I am VERY glad I have it again. Five little gems that will pick your skin up for the party season. My personal favourite is the gold mask, it makes my skin glowing and gorgeous. Now, I just need to pluck up the courage to buy the full-size… (Side note, not pictured but I also love the water drench moisturiser. I was absolutely gutted that I dropped it on the floor – full – and the whole thing had to be thrown away. You should have seen my face when I opened the Dowal Walker package and a brand new one was sat there for me. HAPPY DAYS)
Espa Time For Calm Set – £15ish
Oh Espa… I was introduced to this brand at a recent stay at Ramside Spa, where they gifted me this set. Lately, I’ve been switching from the sugary sweet scents of my youth and into a more aromatherapy type scent palette. This little set consists of Restorative Bath Oil, Restorative Body Oil and a Limited Edition Restorative Balm. Perfect for a little post-Christmas stress bath. Picture this: New pyjamas, bedding, slippers and a night of true pampering with face masks, this bath oil, shampoo… you get the drift. You can see what I’m planning.
Tisserand Little Wellbeing Wonders Mini Mood Mist Collection – £15
Keeping in with the wellness theme, this Tisserand Little Wellbeing Wonders gift set is perfect for anyone who loves aromatherapy and mood sprays. With four scents to choose from, ‘happy vibes, ‘total de-stress’, ‘real calm’ and ‘sleep better’ there’s one for every mood. Tisserand has lots of gift sets available, and I personally would love to receive any of them. Something a little different but lovely nevertheless.
Chanel Chance Eau Tendre – £77+
One of my favourite scents from Chanel, Eau Tendre is a beautiful floral, fruity scent that is extremely feminine and light. It is a radiant heart intensified by jasmine absolute and rose essence. I’ve actually owned this perfume for a long time and only use it special occasions. A Chanel item, may it be perfume or makeup, makes such a special gift for someone you love and adds such an air of luxury to your gifts. Often, the Chanel staff will gift-wrap the perfume for you if you buy it in at a counter, and you can grab your Boots points too. What’s not to love?
Lancôme Monsieur Big Eyeshadow Palette – £38
Lancome’s star of the show this year is this beautiful, heart-shaped eyeshadow palette, consisting of 12 long-wear, pigmented, crease-proof shades. There are different sections for different looks, however, you can easily mix and match too. This palette is extremely pink-toned, which I love. Warm shadows are my favourite and I love doing a pop of colour. This would make an amazing Christmas present, and Valentines too (which is just around the corner, like it or not!)
REN Sleep Peaceful Kit – £17.50
REN is a brand I personally love, between their amazing products and love for the environment, they’re in my good books. This set is not only amazing value for money, but oh wow it’s wonderful. Inside is a Pillow Spray, Night Cream and Cleanser. Full of skincare goodness designed to help you wind down for a lovely nights sleep. I have a few friends who struggle to drift off on an evening, so I think this would be great for them.
Sanctuary Spa Beauty Sleep Selection – £18
Another set perfect for absolutely anyone in your life, the Sanctuary Spa gift set. A staple in many women’s Christmas pile. This set consists of Beauty Sleep Face Mask, Drift off bath soak, Relaxing body butter, a body wash and an eyemask. I love having sets like this because of I honestly just like receiving gifts that include body wash and bubble bath, I feel as though you can’t really go wrong. Everyone washes and bathes, so why not treat someone to something special? Sanctuary has incredible scents at an amazing price point too.
Style Dry ‘Disco Made Me Do It’ Set – £27
If you’re anything like me and like to skip hair wash day as much as possible, dry shampoo is a god-send. I tried out this Style Dry set which consists of a dry shampoo compact powder (life. changing.) and their turban shower cap. Not only to I look chic wearing a shower cap, but I can keep my hair looking fresher for longer. Not to mention the bag is BEAUTIFUL too!
Ole Henriksen L.O.L. (Lots Of Luminosity) Brightening Set – £12
Ole Hendriksen coming to Boots in 2019 has seriously been one of my highlights. I absolutely LOVE their Banana Brightening Primer and this set is perfect for anyone who travels or would like to be introduced to the brand. It consists of Truth on the Glow™ Cleansing Cloths and the C-Rush™ Brightening Gel. The Crème 15ml Truth on the Glow™ Cleansing Cloths have an energizing scent and satiny texture that gently cleanses, hydrates and illuminates in one step, sweeping away dirt, oil and makeup. The C-Rush™ Brightening Gel Crème is powered by three sources of vitamin C and rose of winter, it instantly delivers an energizing burst of hydration to help shield skin from environmental aggressors and target fine lines and wrinkles. I love them both, total must-haves for winter skin.
BEAUTYBLENDERThe Jewel Box beautyblender foundation sponge set – £19
BeautyBlender has brought out a Jewel collection this year, which is very apt because my BeautyBlender is a jewel of my makeup bag. I love blending my makeup out with it, and I love receiving them as gifts as they can get pretty costly replacing them often. This set contains one blender and a small solid cleanser, so you can keep it brand new and wash it after every use.
Roger&Gallet Jean-Marie Farina Perfumed Soap Coffret 3 – £15.00
Rodger & Gallet is a French brand, and these soaps are produced by a unique manufacturing process. They owe their incomparable fragrance to the artisan tradition and their infinite softness to the quality of their composition, which preserves all the vital functions of the skin. They are a true luxury item and would make a gorgeous stocking filler to any beauty lover.
Whether you’re shopping for Christmas or something different, I hope you found inspiration for some beautiful gifts. I’d like to say a huge huge thank you to Rhiannon, for helping me with this shoot. Without her, it would not have been possible. All furniture was supplied by Etch Interiors who specialise in vintage and antique furniture.
So Beaitful. Thanks a lot for sharing.